THE NARRAGANSETT SETTLEMENT 153 



with places of shelter against the approaching winter. Homes buiit 

 According to the account left by Ayrault, some twenty 

 houses were built that fall, together with "some cellars 

 in the ground." The latter refers, undoubtedly, to the 

 dug-outs which many of the early settlers found it con- 

 venient to occupy until opjiortuuity came for constructing 

 more comfortable and pretentious dwellings. The com- 

 mon type of such "cellars " was a square pit six or seven 

 feet deep, floored and walled with wood, and roofed with 

 logs covered by a layer of sod. If we may believe the 

 testimony of a contemporary writer and observer it was 

 possible for the occupants of these residences to "live 

 dry and warm with their families for two, three and four 

 years." During the winter they occupied their time in 

 clearing away the stones that littered their farms, felling 

 trees, and otherwise preparing for the planting season. 

 Fifty acres of laud were set apart for the maintenance 

 of a school, provision was made for erecting a church as 

 soon as the weather permitted, and one hundred and fifty 

 acres were freely donated to Pastor Carr6 for his support ; 

 for among these worthy people, religion, education and 

 industry went hand in hand. And although their labours 

 were of necessity very severe at first they went about with 

 glad hearts, "for," says Ayrault, "we had a comfort; 

 we could enjoy our worship to God." 



In the course of a few years the appearance of " French- Frenchtown 

 town," as it was then called, and as the locality isknowu 

 to-day, was greatly changed. By their industry and skill 

 the refugees had turned a wilderness into a garden. The 

 "cellars" had been replaced by comfortable houses, the 

 forest had given way to orchards and vineyards, and 

 neat fences and hedges surrounded trim gardens. The 

 mild climate of that section of Rhode Island, resembling 

 Virginia, was found to be admirably adapted to the cul- 

 tivation of grapes, and some persons in Boston who had 

 tasted the wine from them gave the judgment that they 

 "thought it as good as Bordeaux claret." Other plans, 



